However, Ling Jingxuan not only forcibly dragged Qi Zhongyuan out to bask in the sun, but also dragged him to a romantic place.
When Qi Zhongyuan saw the plaque, he felt like he was hit on the head with a stick and turned around to leave.
"Lu Hui, pull him up for me!"
"yes!"
Ling Jingxuan dragged him to the private room upstairs. Qi Zhongyuan's face was already gloomy, and his brows were furrowed. Ling Jingxuan suddenly felt helpless, as if she was bullying a child.
He really had no other choice, so he ordered Lu Hui, "Go and invite Princess Wu Ling over!"
Although Lu Hui thought the order was strange, he still did it. Dugu Yu was also at home, so how could he let Qin Qingyao come to see Ling Jingxuan alone? So he came with his wife with a clear conscience.
With Dugu Yu following them, the four secret guards did not go out.
In Fenghuaxueyue, Ling Jingxuan's lips were almost worn out, but he failed to persuade Qi Zhongyuan to reconcile with Fenghuaxueyue, let alone follow and assist him. He didn't even have the courage to say it.
When Prince Duan saw Qin Qingyao coming, he seemed to have seen a savior and automatically ignored Dugu Yu who was beside her.
"What does His Royal Highness Prince Duan want to talk to me about? Who is this young man?"
"He is the second son of the Qi family, Qi Zhongyuan."
"Oh, you're the prince's former companion? Why did you bother to go out today?"
When Ling Jingxuan saw Qin Qingyao teasing Qi Zhongyuan with those dark histories, her heart skipped a beat. She asked you to persuade him, not to continue to attack him...
When Qi Zhongyuan saw Qin Qingyao, he stood up from his chair and shouted, "There's no need for you to ask!"
Then he turned around and left.
"Stop right there!"
Qin Qingyao gave an order, Ling Jingxuan gave a look, and Lu Hui stopped Qi Zhongyuan.
"Why are you running? Are you so scared of me?"
Qi Zhongyuan couldn't leave, so he turned around and glared at Qin Qingyao, "Nonsense, why should I be afraid of a woman like you!"
"What's wrong with being a woman? I, a woman, know more than you!"
Qi Zhongyuan snorted coldly, "You don't know what I'm talking about!"
"I don't know what you mean. What about you? Yulin City's number one coward?"
Qi Zhongyuan yelled with red eyes, "What did you say!"
"I told you to be a coward. What? If you didn't hear clearly, I'll say it again a hundred times. Coward, coward, coward..."
"That's enough! What gives you the right to call me a coward?"
"I didn't say that, everyone says that. You were kicked out of the Eastern Palace by the Crown Prince for being unlearned and unskillful, and you've been hiding at home pretending to be dead, disappearing from the scene. If you're not a coward, what are you?"
Qi Zhongyuan was so angry at Qin Qingyao that he trembled. "You are so short-sighted and ridiculous! This young master never leaves his house to study the sages' books. In the entire Yulin City, how many of my peers have the right to say that this young master is unlearned?"
What's more, he was expelled from the Eastern Palace by the Crown Prince not because of his lack of knowledge, but because he was slandered for his lack of character. But this seems even more humiliating...
Qin Qingyao rolled her eyes in disdain. "Tsk, everyone's almost forgotten if there's even someone like you in the world. Who even knows how many books you've read?"
"Even if you're incredibly knowledgeable and talented, what good does it do? No matter how many books you read, they're all in your head, just like they're sitting on a shelf gathering dust. If you're truly talented, why don't you show them to others?"
"Hey, someone who doesn't even dare to leave the house? Forget it, I won't force you. In this romantic world of mine, if I close my eyes and grab anyone, they'll be braver and more insightful than you, and they'll have written much more than you!"
"I really don't know why this princess is wasting her time with you here!"
"You...you..." Qi Zhongyuan had never had his knowledge questioned in such a direct manner before. Qin Qingyao was so angry that his tongue was tied and he couldn't speak.
"What do you mean by 'I'? If you keep pointing your finger at me like that, I'll tear your finger off!"
Qi Zhongyuan immediately withdrew his hand. "Humph! You say that the rabble here who talk nonsense with their eyes closed are more knowledgeable than this young master, then why don't you get someone to come and compete with me!"
Qin Qingyao said, "You have no ability, but you are so arrogant. Forget about the sage books and great principles. I'm going to ask you about something that happened right in front of your house, and you might not even know the answer!"
Qi Zhongyuan put his hands behind his back, raised his head with an attitude of looking down on the world, "Ask!"
Qin Qingyao asked, "What's the name of Wanhualou's top performer?"
Qi Zhongyuan, "..."
"Haha, you don't know? Lu Hui, tell him!"
Lu Hui's expression was complicated. "Call her Zhuxin."
Qi Zhongyuan, "You are being a scoundrel. I am a gentleman and never fool around. Why would I want to know the names of the girls in those brothels?"
Qin Qingyao, "Are you calling General Lu immoral? And what's wrong with calling a woman a flowery name? Are you looking down on her? Takemoto Muxin, do you know what this is called? It's called humility! This is what you lack in your life!"
Qin Qingyao shook her head helplessly, "Look at me, look at me, a little girl from a brothel is more educated than you!"
If Dugu Yu and Ling Jingxuan had not been present, Qi Zhongyuan would have been so angry at Qin Qingyao that he would have flipped the table.
"You are just taking shortcuts, what kind of skill is that!"
"Tsk tsk, not only are you not humble and uneducated, but you can't stand losing? And you still have the nerve to call yourself a gentleman. What kind of gentleman are you?"
"Who said I can't afford to lose? I want to play another round with you!"
"Comparing yourself to a little girl like me? Is this the only ambition you have in your life?"
Qi Zhongyuan, "..."
"How about this? Let's make a bet. If you can get into the top three in this autumn exam, even if I've made a mistake, I'll personally pour you some tea and apologize!"
"But if you can't make it into the top three, you'll stand in my romantic lobby and shout three times, 'I, Qi Zhongyuan, am an unlearned, ignorant, foolish, and cowardly tortoise!'"
Qi Zhongyuan sneered, "Why bother with the top three? It's just an imperial examination. If I'm not the top scorer this year, I'll let you do whatever you want! But if I am the top scorer, Princess, please remember to keep your promise!"
Qin Qingyao, "The two princes are watching, how can this princess cheat? Shall we high-five and swear an oath?"
"Okay, let's high-five as an oath!" This young master is waiting for you to pour me tea and apologize!
The two of them clapped their hands three times. Qi Zhongyuan looked so confident that he could easily win, and his eyes were full of determination to win. Ling Jingxuan was stunned. Was this the same person who was dragged out by him like a dead dog this morning?
"However, this princess still has to give you a piece of advice. As the ancients said, 'Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.' If you lock yourself up at home all day studying, don't let yourself become a fool like the prince. He doesn't even know whether beans grow in soil or water! It's hilarious!"
After saying that, regardless of whether Qi Zhongyuan listened or not, she took Dugu Yu's arm and said, "Husband, let's go home!"
Qin Qingyao's words before leaving were, firstly, to remind Qi Zhongyuan to go out more and not just study, and secondly, to review with him the glorious history of the prince.
To prevent him from suddenly running back to the prince, although the possibility is really slim, it is still a good idea to have another insurance policy.
Ling Jingxuan only now understood that everything was so simple.
People like Qi Zhongyuan don't need to be coaxed or persuaded. He has always been self-righteous and is most afraid of being looked down upon.
Therefore, using provocation to deal with him will definitely work. Qin Qingyao clearly told him this, but he did not understand it. It was really his fault.
Seeing Qi Zhongyuan still sitting down at the table in anger, Ling Jingxuan poured him a cup of tea and said, "Second Young Master, Princess Wu Ling is always outspoken, but she means no harm. Don't take it to heart."
Qi Zhongyuan said, "What the princess said is correct. It is my own actions that seem petty, and I deserve what others say."
Ling Jingxuan coughed lightly, her expression a little complicated. In fact, apart from Qin Qingyao, no one had ever said that Qi Zhongyuan was a coward. But she said that everyone was almost forgetting whether Qi Zhongyuan existed in the world, which was true.
Although Qi Zhongyuan was very dissatisfied with Qin Qingyao, he really listened to what Qin Qingyao said and reflected on it.
"For so long, I've been stuck in a rut. Today, after the princess's enlightenment, I've finally been enlightened. I've read so many books, but if I don't show them off, I'll just become a bookshelf that eats food. It's completely useless!"
Ling Jingxuan smiled knowingly, "It's great that you can figure it out. Master Qi can rest assured now."
Qi Zhongyuan looked at Ling Jingxuan gratefully, "Thank you for your concern these past few days, Your Highness. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Ling Jingxuan waved her hand generously, "You and I will soon be a family. Wouldn't it be too awkward to say these things?"
Qi Zhongyuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. "You're right, we're almost a family. Your Highness, would you like to go down and take a look at the posts in the lobby? I'm really curious, why does Princess Wu Ling say that those rabble know more than me!"
Ling Jingxuan, "When it comes to reason and knowledge, they are naturally not as good as you, but they are really bold in speaking out!"
After the two left the private room, Qi Zhongyuan began to flip through the posts one by one, sometimes humming, sometimes sneering, sometimes rolling his eyes, and sometimes getting so angry that he wanted to spit. This shows how much he despised those people's remarks.
"The people here are simply outrageous. They don't even dare to leave their real names, yet they speak nonsense here. They dare to discuss the national economy and people's livelihood with so many typos. It's ridiculous!"
Ling Jingxuan, "Princess Wu Ling said that everyone has the right to speak. She allows everyone to use pen names so that everyone can speak freely. Even those who can't read a single word are still citizens of Zhao Ling, and naturally have the right to discuss national affairs and people's livelihood."
Qi Zhongyuan looked at Ling Jingxuan, stunned for a moment before clasping his hands together and saying, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I appreciate your advice!"
Ling Jingxuan looked at Qi Zhongyuan, who had completely changed his state, and was really impressed by Qin Qingyao. She was right. People like Qi Zhongyuan can only be conquered!
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